Rock star Neil Young has filed a $10 million lawsuit over President Donald Trump's use of his song "Rockin' in the Free World" at campaign events. The suit was filed on Monday and is the second time the musician has taken legal action over Trump's use of his music.
The five-page complaint was lodged in federal court in Virginia against the Trump 47 Committee, a joint fundraising committee. It alleges copyright infringement tied to repeated use of the song, and it specifically cites a rally held in Ohio in October.
Young's lawyers argue that the artist "has suffered damage to his reputation and brand as a result of the implication that he supports Donald J. Trump in any way."
The filing also describes the meaning of the song at length. It calls "Rockin' in the Free World" "a blistering anthem that contrasts the hollow promises of American political rhetoric with the harsh realities faced by the poor, homeless and forgotten." According to the lawsuit, the lyrics offer street-level portraits, including a mother discarding her baby, addicts lost in despair and garbage piling up in the shadows of prosperity. The repeated chorus, it says, delivers a "savage irony" by celebrating a freedom that is not shared by everyone. "In short, the Song is the opposite of everything that Donald J. Trump stands for," the complaint says.
Young has criticized the playing of his songs at the president's political events before. In 2020, he sued the Trump presidential campaign over its use of "Rockin' in the Free World" and another track, "Devil's Sidewalk." Young's team said that case was settled shortly after it was filed.
When NBC News asked for comment, the White House referred the outlet to the Republican National Committee. Neither an RNC spokesperson nor the Trump 47 committee immediately responded to a request for comment.
The lawsuit is the latest example of musicians objecting to the use of their work without permission by Trump or the White House. Kesha said she did "NOT approve of my music being used to promote violence of any kind" after the White House used her music in a military-themed social media post, just weeks before the start of the Iran war.
Olivia Rodrigo also pushed back against the Trump campaign for using her music in a video, writing in a post, "Ew don't use my sound ever again ty."
Last year, Sabrina Carpenter condemned a White House video about apparent immigration enforcement actions that featured her music. She called it "evil and disgusting" and told the White House, "Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda."
